Clothed in Dignity Tutorial: How to ride a bike while wearing a long dress {Day 155}
Challenge level up! This past weekend I successfully rode a bike on a trail for several miles while wearing a dress! A year ago I had the idea for a challenge like this, so I did a little test. I tried to see how many days I could wear a dress. I only got to day five or six because I needed to go on a bike ride with my family and I wasn’t sure how to make it work. So this achievement was very special.
The dress: grey sleeveless cotton top and a flow-y maroon skirt nearly to my ankles, all one piece of connected fabric. It was a hot day and the skirt caught the breeze and was very cooling. This was a surprise. The challenge: trail ride with five kids and the husband, and another family with four kids. Helmet: check Close-toed shoes: check Fanny pack purse for phone and wallet: check Picnic dinner in soft cooler sling over my back: check I tied the front of the dress in a loose knot about knee-height and not perfectly centered. Getting on the bike required some thinking. I decided to step through and not over the seat and crotch bar (not really sure the real name). On the seat I made sure to tuck the back of the dress under me and away from the gears.
The dress was a gift from my friend Laura (thanks Laura!). It’s very nice and durable which made it a great choice for this activity. I definitely would not have attempted bike riding with other dresses that are more frail or delicate. It’s day 155 in the Clothed in Dignity challenge! This achievement encouraged me to keep going! It’s the little things that give hope, in this challenge and in life. Feeling overwhelmed by the to-do list but reminded in small ways that God sees and cares for my whole self. My worth is not dependent on my doing, but on His doing. It’s not dependent on how often I write about this challenge—He is using it for His glory, not mine. To my sisters in the life: you may look at an obstacle now and be unable to know how to tackle it, but give it time. Keep trying. It takes those caught in sex slavery an average of seven attempts at freedom before a success. Seven. Keep trying. To my sisters and brothers fighting to end sex slavery: keep trying. This is work that will not be over quickly. But He is good and He will restore the years the locusts have eaten.